Windows 10 Is a Free Upgrade (But That’s Not Even the Best Part)

So Microsoft made some new announcements today about the upcoming Windows 10, and one of the most exciting things is that Windows 10 will be a free upgrade for existing users of Windows 7, Windows 8.1, and Windows Phone 8.1 who upgrade in the first year. Updates to Windows 10 will also be free for the entire lifetime of the device.

This is an interesting departure from Windows history, and reflects Microsoft’s vision going forward. They want Windows to be a ubiquitous platform that various connected apps, services, etc. can run off of. This is reflected in the fact that there will be no more “mobile version” of Windows, nor will there be a separate OS for the Xbox—it’s all just Windows 10, full stop, the end.

That’s plenty to feel excited about, but it’s the next announcement that takes everything to nerdgasm levels. Windows 10 is the world’s first holographic computing platform. To take advantage of that, Microsoft has developed HoloLens, which is a wearable computer that functions completely independently (no connection to a PC, wireless or otherwise) and, through the use of “advanced sensors”, allows you to interact with the holograms using only your hands and voice. This sounds like the natural evolution of Microsoft’s Kinect technology, and it sounds amazing.

Wired got a hands-on with HoloLens and it sounds like it works surprisingly well. It’s still a prototype of course, but this could be the next step forward in terms of where wearable technology heads next. Could this have contributed to Google Glass going underground for the time being?